KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Oct. 24, 2024) – United Soccer Coaches has announced the selection of longtime soccer broadcaster Bill McDermott as the fifth recipient of the Clay Berling Media Career of Excellence Award.
The award was established in 2020 to provide an opportunity for the association to recognize a media professional for a distinguished career covering the events and issues of soccer in the United States. It is named for Clay Berling, the founder and publisher of Soccer America. Berling is the only person from the media to have been named a recipient of the United Soccer Coaches prestigious Honor Award in 1996.
“It is with great admiration that we recognize Bill McDermott with our fifth annual Media Career of Excellence Award,” said Rusty Oglesby, United Soccer Coaches President. “On behalf of our association, we extend our gratitude to Bill and his commitment to the sport through his longtime contributions to the game at every level.”
For more than 50 years, McDermott has been the voice of soccer matches at all levels of the sport: men’s and women’s, indoor and outdoor, amateur and professional, minor leagues and major leagues.
Known as Mr. Soccer, McDermott first covered the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico for KMOX radio in St. Louis, Mo., and began his television broadcast career in 1972 calling the North American Soccer League. Over the next five decades, McDermott has been behind the microphone as a play-by-play analyst, color commentator, sideline reporter, studio host, public address announcer and emcee to become one of the longest serving voices across the American soccer landscape.
Among many noteworthy moments in his distinguished career, McDermott joined ESPN at its inception in 1979 as the network’s first soccer analyst and worked as a color commentator for the first soccer game televised by ESPN. He went on to cover the 1994 World Cup in the United States and the 1998 World Cup in France for ABC/ESPN. He also served as the sideline reporter for Major League Soccer’s inaugural match, All-Star Game and MLS Cup in the historic 1996 season.
In addition to his illustrious broadcast resume, McDermott has contributed to the sport as a youth soccer coach and professional graphic designer while also serving as the public address announcer for Saint Louis University since 1972. He also serves as the emcee of the annual Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy banquet.
The award will be presented on Friday, January 10, 2024, during the United Soccer Coaches annual Awards Ceremony in conjunction with its 85th annual Convention, January 8-12 in Chicago, Ill.